1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to lighter-than-air balloons and, more particularly, to an action toy having a helium-containing-gas-inflated envelope which alternately and repeatedly ascends and descends a tether during play.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lighter-than-air balloons for toy or advertising purposes were conventionally made for many years by filling an envelope comprised of an elastomeric material with a helium-containing gas at fairs, shopping centers, circuses, restaurants, parks and the like, where helium was available to fill the balloons shortly before use or sale. However, such balloons invariably lost their buoyancy within a few hours or days as a result of helium losses by diffusion through the elastomeric material.
In order to extend the limited lifetime of such balloons, many composite envelope materials have heretofore been proposed which were relatively impermeable to gases to various degrees. One particularly long-lasting balloon of the so-called foil-seal type was described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,588 wherein non-elastomeric polymer sheets coated with a continuous metal layer were used in the construction of the envelope material.
It was also known to fill both elastomeric and foil-seal type balloons with air or helium-containing gases, and to tie such balloons to one end of a string, elastic cord or analogous tether. The other end of the tether was held in one's hand to carry the balloon from place to place. As described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 600,967, a rebounding balloon tied to an elastic tether provided more active amusement by permitting the user to bounce the balloon repeatedly off his or her hand. U.S. Pat. No. 2,722,775 disclosed a tethered balloon toy which provided amusement by having a user release an inflated balloon for outward travel away from the user, the balloon being returned to the user by virtue of the unwinding of a pair of rubberbands that initially became twisted and stored energy during the outward travel. U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,024 disclosed a helium-filled balloon tethered to a reel and used as a signal to indicate the location of a person in distress. U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,531 disclosed still another tethered gas-filled balloon used as a signal device. Other types of balloon toys were disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,879,887 and 2,008,552.
Although balloon toys have entertained countless numbers of children and adults over many years, they have not proven to be altogether satisfactory. This has been due, in part, to the limited lifetime of those balloons having elastomeric envelopes. This has also been due to the limited active play value involved in merely carrying or rebounding a balloon off one's hand.